तेंदुआ
tenduā/t̪eːn.d̪ʊ.ɑː/masculine
The English word "leopard" is तेंदुआ (tenduā) in Hindi. Wiktionary also lists तेंदुई (tenduī) and तेँदुआ (tẽduā).
Meaning: a large wild cat with a spotted coat, Panthera pardus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| तेंदुआ | tenduā | /t̪eːn.d̪ʊ.ɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| तेंदुई | tenduī | /t̪eːn.d̪ʊ.iː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| तेँदुआ | tẽduā | masculine |
The term refers to a large wild cat with a spotted coat, specifically the species Panthera pardus.
Which one should you use?
तेंदुआ (tenduā) and तेँदुआ (tẽduā) are both masculine forms of the word. तेंदुई (tenduī) is the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /t̪eːn.d̪ʊ.ɑː/. The romanization is tenduā.
Did you know?
- The word तेंदुआ is derived from the Sanskrit term तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रक, which literally means 'sharp-teethed'.
- While तेंदुआ refers to the leopard, the black panther is often called काला तेंदुआ, meaning 'black leopard'.
- In Indian wildlife terminology, the term तेंदुआ is used to cover both the Indian leopard and the elusive snow leopard, the latter being called हिम तेंदुआ.
Examples in context
- जंगल में एक तेंदुआ है।jangal mein ek tendua hai.There is a leopard in the forest.
- तेंदुआ बहुत तेज़ दौड़ता है।tendua bahut tez daudta hai.The leopard runs very fast.
- मैंने चिड़ियाघर में तेंदुआ देखा।maine chidiyaghar mein tendua dekha.I saw a leopard in the zoo.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a wildlife documentary they watched.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या तुमने वह तेंदुआ देखा?kya tumne vah tendua dekha?Did you see that leopard?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, वह तेंदुआ बहुत सुंदर था।haan, vah tendua bahut sundar tha.Yes, that leopard was very beautiful.
- प्रिया Priyaआदित्य, क्या वह खतरनाक था?aaditya, kya vah khatarnak tha?Aditya, was it dangerous?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, वह बहुत ताकतवर था।haan, vah bahut taqatvar tha.Yes, it was very powerful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leopard” translations and entries तेंदुआ, तेंदुई, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries तेंदुआ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
